Month: October 2015

United States Condemns Seizure of UN Barge by Opposition Forces in South Sudan
Press StatementJohn KirbyDepartment Spokesperson
Washington, DC
October 30, 2015

The United States is deeply concerned by the confirmed reports that the Sudan People&rs…

Cameroun : le sélectionneur Volker Finke non-conservé

Cette fois, la Fédération camerounaise (Fécafoot) a dit « stop » à Volker Finke. Le technicien allemand, dont le contrat avait expiré depuis plusieurs semaines, n’a pas été reconduit dans ses fonctions par le Comité exécutif de la Fécafoot, ce 30 octobre 2015 à Yaoundé. L’ex-entraîneur de Fribourg est remplacé temporairement par son adjoint, Alexandre Belinga.

Ce dernier, ex-coach des moins de 20 ans, devra conduire les Lions indomptables lors de la double confrontation face au Niger, au 2e tour des éliminatoires de la Coupe du monde 2018, les 13 et 17 novembre 2015.

Le départ de Volker Finke était dans l’air depuis plusieurs mois. Il a toutefois fallu attendre la victoire de Tombi A Roko Sidiki à la présidence de la Fécafoot.

Bilan mitigé…

Nommé en mai 2013, Finke a vécu deux années et demi compliquées au Cameroun. Sa Coupe du monde 2014 a été catastrophique, avec une piteuse élimination au premier tour. Sa Coupe d’Afrique des nations 2015 a été un peu plus convaincante, malgré une sortie dès la phase de groupes.

Ses Lions indomptables avaient surtout fait naître des espoirs, après avoir étrillé la Côte d’Ivoire 4-1 en éliminatoires de la CAN 2015. Mais l’opération de rajeunissement de l’effectif, ponctuée par la retraite internationale de l’attaquant Samuel Eto’o, n’a pas été couronnée de succès.

Son bilan en 31 rencontres : 15 victoires, 10 nuls, 6 défaites, 41 buts marqués et 29 encaissés.

…et forte impopularité

Surtout, Volker Finke a fini par devenir très impopulaire au Cameroun. Pas une conférence de presse sans que les médias locaux réclament sa démission. Ces derniers lui ont reproché ses résultats et le grand pouvoir conféré au capitaine Stéphane Mbia. Volker Finke, affable et disponible à ses débuts, s’était progressivement retranché.

RFI

Volker Finke axed from Cameroon job

Volker Finke’s time as Cameroon head coach has never been easy. A forgettable campaign in Brazil was the start of the downfall, and so the news of his departure as head coach is perhaps of little surprise.

Two weeks before the start of their 2018 World Cup qualification campaign, Cameroon has fired head coach German Volker Finke, the country’s football federation announced on Friday. Alexandre Belinga has been placed in temporary charge of the side, with former Cameroon international Bonaventure Djonkep acting as assistant.
Finke’s contract with the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) expired several weeks ago and will not be renewed after a number of disappointments over the past 18 months.
A statement on Fecafoot’s website that was signed by president Tombi A Roko Sidiki who took over the reins of the federation last month, did not give reasons for the decision but said it had been made in consultation with the country’s new sports minister, Bidoung Mpkatt.

67-year-old Finke was made Cameroon head coach in May of 2013 and led ‘The Indomitable Lions’ to an abysmal World Cup campaign in Brazil last year where they lost all three matches and were criticized for petulant behavior that included an on-field spat between teammates Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Benjamin Moukandjo.

Cameroon were also knocked out in the first round of the African Nations Cup finals in Equatorial Guinea earlier this year, but had made a 100 percent start to the qualification campaign for the 2017 tournament after two games.
jh/ (Reuters)

XCMG signs strategic cooperation agreement with SAP during Merkel state visit

HEFEI, China, Oct. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire — XCMG has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with German software company SAP at the China-Germany Council of Economic Advisers meeting presided over by a China state leader and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Wang Min, chairman and president of XCMG, introduced XCMG’s investments in Germany as well as collaborations with German companies […]

Sydney Opera House Lights up for Wallabies

SYDNEY, Oct. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire — The Sydney Opera House was lit up in green and gold tonight ahead of the Rugby World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand in London. Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151030/282197 Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151030/282196 New South Wales (NSW) Government’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events and Minister for Sport, Stuart […]

Business Climate: Cameroon Needs To Work Harder

Cameroon’s performance, on the World Bank Doing Business ranking is dwindling, despite efforts by government to improve the business climate. According to the 2016 World Bank Doing Business Report, after a survey carried out in 189 economies, Cameroon is ranked 172th in 2016 as against 168th in 2015, thus dropping by four places.

The drop by Cameroon, going by World Bank indicators, is blamed on the lack of business-friendly reforms. The Doing Business fact sheet indicates that Cameroon was able to put in place two reforms in 2015 and none in 2016 in its efforts to improve its business climate. Victorine BIY NFOR Cameroon Needs To Work Harder Business Climate.

«Il faut aller beaucoup plus vite »

Louis Paul Motaze, ministre de l’Economie, de la Planification et de l’Aménagement du territoire.

« Nous sommes convaincus que le chemin est long et qu’il faut améliorer les choses. Le problème avec ce genre de classement, c’est qu’il ne veut pas forcément dire qu’on travaille mal. Comme je le dis toujours, le Doing Business n’est pas un examen, mais un concours.

Vous pouvez avoir la moyenne, mais si les autres ont une note plus forte que vous, vous reculez. Je peux témoigner que le gouvernement a fait un certain nombre de choses, mais le recul dans le classement doit nous amener à être réaliste et à dire qu’on travaille peut-être bien, mais pas aussi bien que les autres.

Il faut donc aller beaucoup plus vite et beaucoup plus loin. Je crois que les pistes sont déjà tracées. Nous avons eu un nouvel accord avec la Société financière internationale qui va nous assister. Peut-être faudra-t-il changer le format des réunions, voir comment implémenter les décisions qui ont déjà été prises.

Et surtout faire en sorte que ce que pense le gouvernement soit la même chose que ce que pense le secteur privé. C’est souvent un problème que nous avons. Au niveau du gouvernement, nous prenons des décisions qui ne sont pas forcément ressenties au niveau du monde des affaires. Et c’est souvent le monde des affaires qui est interrogé par les auditeurs qui viennent pour le Doing Business. Ce qu’il faut, c’est vraiment qu’on s’entende sur les mesures à prendre pour que tout le monde trouve son compte.

Cela signifie que c’est le partenariat secteur public-secteur privé qu’il faut renforcer et je suis sûr qu’on pourra améliorer les choses. Mais, je tiens à le dire, le gouvernement a déjà pris un certain nombre de mesures, mais ce classement montre qu’il faudrait aller beaucoup plus loin.»

Cameroon Tribune

Cameroun : RFI toujours sans nouvelles de son correspondant Ahmed Abba

Trois mois jour pour jour après son arrestation, notre confrère Ahmed Abba est toujours détenu au secret, sans pouvoir recevoir de visite ni de sa famille, ni de son avocat. « Nous n’avons ni accès au dossier ni à la personne de monsieur Abba, nous ne savons pas ce qui lui est reproché », déclare le bâtonnier Charles Tchoungang.

Le 30 juillet 2015, Ahmed Abba, le correspondant-pigiste de RFI en langue hausa à Maroua, au Nord-Cameroun, était arrêté par les forces de l’ordre. Depuis, il a été transféré à Yaoundé, où il aurait été interrogé dans le cadre d’une enquête sur les activités de la secte islamiste Boko Haram au Nord-Cameroun.

Aussitôt, RFI a mandaté un avocat, le bâtonnier Charles Tchoungang, pour l’assister. « Depuis son transfert à Yaoundé, j’ai rencontré plusieurs personnalités du gouvernement, affirme Maître Tchoungang. Je n’ai obtenu aucun motif de son arrestation ».

Au Cameroun, le délai maximum de la garde à vue est de vingt-huit jours, mais certaines dispositions permettraient aux autorités de dépasser ce délai. Trois mois après son arrestation, Ahmed Abba est donc toujours invisible.

Le 16 octobre, Maître Charles Tchoungang a écrit au président de la République Paul Biya et au ministre d’Etat, ministre de la Justice Laurent Esso. Deux lettres, qui demeurent sans réponse à ce jour.

Radio France Internationale rappelle son attachement au principe de la présomption d’innocence, et cela d’autant plus qu’un examen attentif de l’ensemble des interventions d’Ahmed Abba à l’antenne permet d’attester de l’impartialité de son travail.

Trois mois après son arrestation, RFI exprime sa plus vive inquiétude sur le sort réservé à son correspondant. Ahmed Abba doit sortir au plus vite de cette situation extra-judicaire, afin que l’avocat de RFI puisse enfin le rencontrer et prendre connaissance du dossier.

Monsieur Ahmed Abba fut interpellé le 30 juillet 2015 à Maroua lors d’un contrôle d’identité. Et puis après enquête il fut transféré sur Yaoundé. Depuis son transfert sur Yaoundé nous avons essayé de voir où il pouvait être détenu. Nous avons parcouru tous les centres de détention de Yaoundé, rencontré les personnalités du gouvernement qui pouvaient éventuellement être informées de son lieu de détention et des motifs pour lesquels il était détenu. Pour l’heure il n’y a aucun motif connu. Il y a là quand même des faits qui ne sont pas conformes, ni à notre Constitution ni à notre législation. Quels que soient les motifs pour lesquels il serait interpellé, il n’est pas bon qu’il soit gardé au secret et que son employeur ne puisse pas accéder à lui, que son avocat ne puisse pas accéder à lui. Nous n’avons accès ni à son dossier, ni à sa personne. Nous ne savons même pas dans quel état il est. Pour l’instant, nous ne savons pas ce qui lui est reproché. Vous comprenez bien que dans cette situation nous sommes très inquiets.

Le bâtonnier Charles Tchoungang: «nous n’avons accès ni à son dossier, ni à sa personne»

Nous n’avons, ni accès à son dossier ni à sa personne. Nous ne savons même pas dans quel état il est. Pour l’instant, nous ne savons pas ce qui lui est reproché ! A défaut de pouvoir accéder à notre client nous avons écrit d’abord au ministre d’Etat, au ministre Garde des Sceaux monsieur Laurent Esso, le 16 octobre dernier. Nous avons également écrit au président de la République en tant que président du Conseil supérieur de la magistrature, afin qu’il intervienne pour nous permettre d’exercer notre métier d’avocat. Parce que finalement, lorsque les autorités de police ou les autorités militaires interpellent un citoyen et empêchent que l’avocat accède à ce citoyen, c’est une entrave à l’exercice de notre profession. Donc le sens de cette lettre est d’abord de demander que ces deux autorités de nous assister afin que nous puissions accéder au dossier de Monsieur Ahmed et que nous puissions savoir quels sont les recours qui sont faits, afin d’informer son employer, parce qu’il s’agit de cela. Dans ce dossier nous avons été reçus par un des collaborateurs du président de la République et la réponse qu’il nous a donnée à l’époque c’est : il faut aller plus haut. C’est ce que nous avons fait et nous attendons donc sa réaction.

Le bâtonnier C. Tchougang: «Nous avons également écrit au président de la République»

RFI

Cameroonian workers sue Swedish employer for fraud in historic case

When Basi Fojong first decided to go to Sweden to work, he was optimistic about his future. “In Cameroon the pay is very low,” he explains. “So when I left for Sweden my family was happy. People that live in Europe usually send money to their families back home.”

Everything looked great on paper: Basi was to spend six months planting trees in a forest in northern Sweden for the company Skogsnicke AB. For eight hours a day, five days a week, Basi was promised a salary, before tax, of 18,500 kronor a month (US$2,200).

Five months of work would earn Basi enough money to buy a piece of land and start a farm back home, which he, his wife and their five children could live on comfortably.

Today, more than four years after his arrival, Basi is still in Sweden.

He has neither a job nor a permit to stay, yet he cannot go back to Cameroon. Since he hasn’t been able to pay back the loan he took to come to Sweden, he runs the risk of being put in prison upon his return.

Most of his fellow countrymen and co-workers from the forest are in a similar situation. “I don’t even know what I will eat this afternoon. But I stay with a friend now who gives me food,” Basi tells Equal Times.

But there is a glimmer of hope for Basi, who has decided to sue his former employer, Niklas Gotthardsson, for fraud.

His lawyer, Bo Villner, believes they have a good chance of winning the case, which is strongly backed by the GS union, representing forest and wood workers, and by other lawyers who have been hired by six other Cameroonian workers.

In Sweden, it is possible to bring migrant workers to the labour market on the basis of a non-binding job offer. While this regulation was introduced in the name of flexibility, some trade union activists claim it leaves the door open to fraudulent recruitment schemes in which workers have no protection against the changes made to the initial offer.

When Basi and the 15 other men came to Sweden in May 2011, it immediately became clear that the job was nothing like what had been described on the contract they had signed with Gotthardsson in Cameroon.

Basi and others would be woken up every day at 5 a.m. to be transported to the forest by their supervisor. There, they would plant trees and carry loads of tree plants on their backs, weighing up to 70 kilos, all day without any breaks.

The never-setting sun of the Swedish summer allowed the work to continue until late at night, and they were housed in a small cottage with neither beds nor hot water.

Gotthardsson and his lawyers did not respond to Equal Times’ request for comments.

No protection for foreign workers

At the end of the first month the workers didn’t receive their salary.

Gotthardsson told them this was due to a problem with their bank accounts. After a few more months, however, the Cameroonians only received one small payment. It was at that point that they realised they were being tricked.

“Everybody was very angry and crying, because we had all borrowed money to come here. But our employer told us we should stay calm and work in 2012, and then we would have our money,” says Basi. He and the other workers saw no other way but to hope their employer was telling the truth and stay in Sweden until the next planting season.

Once again, the workers did not receive the salary they had been promised, which prompted Basi and others to contact the GS union. They were subsequently threatened by their employer who, in an email, wrote that he will burn down their houses in Cameroon. Nevertheless, the workers stood by their accusations.

“Foreign workers are without protection because they get their work permits based on the employment they have,” says Villner, who works for the Swedish Trade Union Confederation and the Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees (LO-TCO). “If they report their employer and it turns out the premises under which they got their work permit was false, they lose their work permit and must leave the country. It’s that simple,” he adds.

These problems often occur, Villner stresses, describing the exploitation of foreign workers in other sectors like berry-picking or nail polishing.

Every now and then, cases are brought to the attention of the media, but it has proven hard to bring justice to the victims.

This case could set a precedent. Never has an employer been sued for fraud – let alone human trafficking – for bringing foreign workers to Sweden under false premises. One difficulty is the fact that the workers themselves are seldom members of a union and are usually too afraid to take legal action.

“If we win the case it would provide other people with evidence of how to act in such circumstances,” says Villner.

Basi hopes he can get financial compensation and return to his family in Cameroon. “I feel very, very bad that I can’t support my family.” he says.

“My wife had to close down her business, and some of my children are not going to school anymore, since we can’t pay the school fees.”

Tackling human trafficking

Lawyers like Villner say there are systemic changes needed in order to prevent the exploitation of foreign workers in the future. “There should be special legal help provided for these people, or the unions should be able to handle these cases even if the workers are not union members. Moreover, the letter of employment that’s approved by the migration board beforehand should be legally binding.”

The GS union sees what happened to the Cameroonians as a case of human trafficking and forced labour. “They were lured into coming here with promises of gold and green forests, but the reality was very different,” says Tommy Andersson, vice-chairman of GS union, using a common Swedish metaphor.

However, the legal requirements to back this type of accusation are hard to present in court, according to Villner.

“The procedural requirements for human trafficking are hard to fulfil. In this case it cannot be said that the men were put in a state of emergency. Even though they had to live in primitive circumstances they would have been able to quit the employment. It would have been different if Skogsnicke AB had confiscated their passports or locked them up.”

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) believes this view is not up-to-date with current realities.

“According to human trafficking indicators developed by the ILO, the combination of withholding wages, debt bondage and threats of violence can constitute coercion, even in the absence of passport confiscation or physical confinement”, says Zuzanna Muskat-Gorska, policy advisor at the ITUC.

“National courts often tend to look only for physical signs of coercion –workers chained to the walls, locked up or beaten. Labour laws such as those against fraud provide with useful legal strategies to address abuses but we should also challenge conservative interpretations of anti-trafficking laws in order to tackle the severe exploitation of increasingly large groups of exploited migrant workers in mainstream economic activities.”

Cases of group exploitation take place all over Europe, according to the ITUC’s report, prepared with the financial support of the European Commission.

In 2014 the International Labour Organization (ILO) adopted a new legally-binding protocol on forced labour, which aims to strengthen global efforts to eliminate modern-forms of forced labour.

A campaign was subsequently launched to encourage at least 50 countries to ratify the protocol by 2018.

The Swedish ILO committee has recommended the government to do so and to look at some aspects of the legislation, to make sure that they are compatible with the protocol and that stories like that of the Cameroonian forest workers remain the exception rather than the norm.

Equal Times

Un projet d’un demi-milliard FCfa pour produire 813 tonnes de poissons à Limbé

Dans le cadre de son projet Agroples, qui vise à créer des activités génératrices de revenus dans les zones rurales et à limiter les importations des produits alimentaires dans le pays, le gouvernement camerounais vient d’investir 522 millions de francs Cfa dans l’Agropole de production de poissons de limbé, situé dans la région du Sud-Ouest.

Grâce à cet appui financier, apprend-on, ce projet porté par une coopérative de pisciculteurs présidée par Johnson Njocke, ambitionne de porter sa production de poissons de 83 tonnes actuellement, à environ 813 tonnes par an. Concrètement, il sera question de produire des alevins à mettre à la disposition des éleveurs des environs à un prix hautement compétitif, afin d’atteindre le niveau de production escompté.

En plus de contribuer à l’augmentation de la production locale du poisson, le projet de Limbé permet surtout de promouvoir l’aquaculture qui, selon les estimations officielles, est le parent pauvre de la production du poisson au Cameroun. Par exemple, sur les 176 000 tonnes de poissons produits au Cameroun chaque année, seulement 1000 tonnes, c’est-à-dire 0,1% de la production nationale, provient de l’aquaculture.

Investir au Cameroun

Dress code, what dress code? No one tells Robert Mugabe what to wear, or do, or say

What better way to welcome delegates from foriegn countries to Indian than by giving them a taste of Indian traditions? This is probably what inspired the ‘Indian mela’ (carnival) for the third India-Africa Forum Summit, bringing together food, music and artifacts from all the states in the country for the African Heads of Governments and States during the reception hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The dinner was hosted at Crafts Museum in Pragati Maidan which also provided a traditional ambiance for the event. And the African leaders were dressed in the traditional attire to boot, complete with bright and colourful kurtas, pyjamas, bandis, and safas sewn specially sewn for them.

The MEA had requested the ‘measurements’ of all 54 African heads of state, so that the ensemble could be stitched for them in time and according to a ministry official, the photo-op in kurtas was supposed to be “one of the highlights of the summit and (would) help demonstrate the solidarity and age-old partnership India has with the African countries.”

The photo certainly was a highlight. Just have a look at how vibrant the visiting dignitaries looked.

However, one African leader was conspicuous by his lack of Indian attire.

The grey-suited man is none other than Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, infamous for his long and often controversial ‘rule’. Standing next to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the 91-year old was seen wearing a grey suit with a tie and consequently stood out in the photo-op, proving once again that ‘Mugabe does what he wants’.

This is not the first time that Mugabe has ‘stood out’ for his unusual choices, in fact he has a history of doing or saying things that most world leaders would shy from. Sample this: Mugabe once ‘proposed to marry’ Barack Obama and joked about sanctions with Vladimir Putin.

Here’s a list of all the times Robert Mugabe stood apart from the rest

When he travelled to Europe, a continent that had banned him

Back in 2013, Mugabe went to Rome for the installation of Pope Francis. But here ‘s the catch — he was actually banned from travelling to the European Union. The long-ruling President was banned amid allegations of human rights abuses and election rigging. While Vatican City is not part of the EU, he travelled through Italy to reach Vatican City, which is encircled by Italy and has no airport of its own.

When he wanted to get down on his knee and propose to Barack Obama

Yeah, he actually said that. After US Supreme Court legalised same-sex marriage in 2015, a vociferous anti-LGBT rights advocate Mugabe mocked it saying, “I’ve just concluded — since President (Barack) Obama endorses the same-sex marriage, advocates homosexual people and enjoys an attractive countenance — thus if it becomes necessary, I shall travel to Washington, DC, get down on my knee and ask his hand,” according to a report by Daily Mail.

When he told the United Nations that ‘we are not gays’

Continuing his hardline stance of homosexuality, Mugabe criticised Western countries for trying to impose ‘new rights’ on other countries at the UN General Assembly and reportedly blurted out, “We are not gays.”

When he praised Vladimir Putin for standing up to the West

While a large part of the world thinks that some of Putin’s policies in Russia are too drastic, Mugabe, who went to Moscow to take part in celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the World War Two victory over Nazi Germany in 2014, thanked Russia for standing up to the West. He also cracked a ‘sanctioned’ joke saying, “So you have sanctions, we have sanctions,” as per this report.

When he mistakenly booed his own political party in front of them

The Opposition in Zimbabwe has often slammed Mugabe for being ‘old’ and ‘not of a sound mind’ and some of his gaffes actually prove his age. In 2014, he shocked delegates at the Zanu PF 6th national people’s congress by unwittingly booing his own party through saying “Pasi neZanu PF” (Down with Zanu PF) Apparently, when the gaffe was pointed, he immediately corrected himself and took his seat next to a visibly flustered First Lady, says this report by The Standard.

When he read the same speech twice in Parliament and nobody interrupted him

A similar goof up happened at the Zimbabwe Parliament in September this year when Mugabe read out the wrong speech at the opening. In fact, it was the same speech that he read out less than a month back and he finished the speech without interruption. His spokesman blamed officials, adding the president would read the correct speech at a later date.

How long will this continue, you ask? Well, according to the man himself, he will rule till he goes insane.

“For as long as I am still sane and fully bright in my mind, I will be available to lead you. I think I still have the willpower and have a good memory and a good catchment area,” Mugabe was quoted as saying by News Zimbabwe.

Firstpost

Avis Namibia is Avis Licensee of the Year for Europe, the Middle East and Africa

Avis Qatar and Avis Poland Also Recognized for Outstanding Achievement PARSIPPANY, N.J., Oct. 29, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Avis Car Rental today announced that Avis Namibia has been named “Licensee of the Year” at the 2015 Avis Licensee Awards for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). The Namibia team received their accolade at a […]

Samuel Eto’o on CNN : ‘Boko Haram atrocities make us seem powerless’

VIDEO: WATCH THE INTERVIEW HERE

(CNN)He’s one of world football’s best-known names — and now Samuel Eto’o is using that fame to draw attention to the ongoing crisis that “everyone stops talking about.”

The former Barcelona and Chelsea star has set up the Yellow Whistleblower FC foundation to raise funds and awareness to help people fleeing Nigeria and Cameroon amid a rising tide of attacks from Boko Haram militants.

Earlier this month, Oxfam revealed that more than 1.5 million people have fled their homes in Nigeria alone, while Cameroon — to which many have escaped — is an increasing target for cross-border terror attacks.

Islamist group Boko Haram has carried out bombings, assassinations, kidnappings and abductions in its campaign to impose its strict version of Sharia law.

Charlie Hebdo

Former Cameroon captain Eto’o, who retired from international football last year, told CNN it was time the world stepped up its response to an ongoing catastrophe.

The 34-year-old urged leaders and the media to react as they did to the terror attack on the Charlie Hebdo magazine offices in Paris in January.

“It is important for us to talk about it — if we don’t do it, who will?” said the four-time African player of the year.

“We all tried to offer our support (after Charlie Hebdo). We saw African head of states coming to Paris to offer their support to France.

“Why, when it comes to Africa — when it comes to our continent — don’t we do anything? Maybe because the media are not doing what they should do.

“When it comes to Charlie Hebdo, we talk about it. The media were right: It was important to talk about that. However when it comes to Boko Haram, we need to wait for the most horrific things to happen for the media to say a word.

“After that, everybody stops talking about it. It is like nothing ever happened.

“I think journalists should have denounced this situation. We saw what happened in France. We were very sad about this. We were asking ourselves, ‘How can this happen? How can they succeed? How can these people take away lives of happy people who had families and friends?’”

Most formidable weapon

The soccer star’s foundation has already raised more than $75,000 to help displaced victims of Boko Haram terrorism, and Eto’o said he believed Africans in a position to do so must “raise their voices to denounce these horrors and raise awareness.”

“I was affected, like many of my African brothers, by Boko Haram. We haven’t been affected by such horrors in a very long time,” he said. “We are seeing these atrocities and we seem powerless.

“We need to cope with this situation. We need to denounce it and find solutions at our level while our armed forces do their own job on the ground.”

Eto’o said one of the most effective ways to defeat Boko Haram and its ideology would be through education, which he called “the most formidable weapon.”

“We need to create schools and give the possibility to these children to learn and understand,” explained Eto’o, whose illustrious career has taken him to Italy, Spain, Russia, England and Turkey, winning three European Champions League titles. He was reportedly one of the the world’s highest-paid players at Anzhi Makhachkala.

“Some of these children affected by the situation are young and are easily manipulable, and they are manipulated. These children are used and join this terrorist organization.”

Last month, an attack by Boko Haram militants on a market and an infirmary in northern Cameroon killed around 30 people and injured 145, according to a military official.

The attack provided another demonstration of the Islamist group’s reach in Africa.

Col. Didier Badjeck, a spokesman for Cameroon’s military, said the attackers “came in from across the hills in Nigeria” to launch the attacks in the town of Kerawa.

Eto’o, who now plays for Turkish club Antalyaspor, said: “We wanted to show the right way to our young brothers, but the ignorance that we have in Africa leads to our own brothers shooting at us.

“When you are African, and you are sometimes better (at something) than Europeans or Americans, you’re not considered African.

“It’s frustrating but you can’t be mad. I refuse to be ignorant. The only message that I want to give is that I want people to have easy access to education.”

Eto’o also believes that increased education and awareness will pave the way for other footballers to emulate the international success he and other African football stars have enjoyed overseas.

“I really hope there will be another Samuel Eto’o, another Yaya Toure and others who are part of history,” he added, referring to Manchester City’s Ivory Coast midfielder. “In order to be part of history, you need to have an impact several times.

“When you impact several times, that means you are out of the ordinary. That’s why in Africa we need to say no to ignorance while accepting and understanding our values. When we get to do that, it will be a big step forward.

“I am not getting into politics, but it is important for Africans to dream and to write their own history. They need to be responsible for their own destiny.”

CNN

Encore un immeuble qui s’effondre à Douala

Les trois étages de la bâtisse se sont subitement affaissés dans la nuit de mardi à mercredi, faisant des blessés. Un immeuble dont les travaux d’élévation allaient sur le quatrième étage s’est en partie effondré dans la nuit du mardi 27 octobre 2015 à Ndogbati, dans l’arrondissement de Douala V. L’accident n’a pas fait de mort. Deux blessés, un homme, touché aux membres inférieurs, et une jeune fille atteinte à la tête, sont en revanche internés à l’hôpital Laquintinie.

Ils sont tous deux membres d’une famille installée dans une maison à l’arrière du chantier. Celle-ci, comme une autre située sur le côté, a reçu des monceaux de béton sur son toit. Quelques gravats ont même traversé la tôle des toitures pour se retrouver dans la maison. Sans davantage causer du tort aux habitants.

Selon des témoins vivant dans le voisinage des lieux de la catastrophe, mardi autour de 21 h, un grand bruit s’est fait entendre dans le quartier. « Je suis sortie et j’ai vu les ourdis que l’on venait d’installer pour faire une nouvelle dalle amoncelés vers le bas », raconte une jeune femme.

Par pans, des murs pendent encore au bout de fers dénudés. Le matin du drame, ajoutent des jeunes gens du quartier, les maçons avaient continué à préparer le matériel pour un dernier étage. Un tas de sable attend d’ailleurs au pied de la bâtisse qui demeure debout sur un bon tiers. Le propriétaire de l’immeuble qui s’est rendu à la police jeudi matin affirme au contraire que la dalle projetée n’était pas destinée à supporter d’autres appartements mais de simples réservoirs d’eau. Par ailleurs, il assure ne pas comprendre ce qui s’est passé. « J’avais pris un ingénieur pour suivre les travaux », déclare-t-il.

Le spécialiste du génie civil chargé de veiller sur la qualité de l’ouvrage n’aurait rien signalé à l’infortuné bâtisseur. L’enquête ouverte au commissariat du 7e arrondissement devrait permettre d’en savoir davantage.

Cameroon Tribune

Luis Enrique boosted by rising star Wilfrid Kaptoum at Barcelona

Barcelona will struggle to take anything positive from their 0-0 draw with CF Villanovense in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night.

Aside from the lack of goals, the Blaugrana’s performance also lacked spirit; too many players simply went through the motions, running down the clock and thinking about the flight back to Catalonia.

There was, however, one notable exception. One footballer who played with vigour, joy and the creativity necessary to earn the right to be a Barcelona player. While the majority of his teammates failed to turn up, Wilfrid Kaptoum turned on the style from the kick-off.

Picking up the ball in the middle of the pitch with less than three minutes played, he shrugged off a challenge then drove forward, dribbling past another opponent with ease and laying down a marker for how his night would go.

He was at it again minutes later. Robbing the ball this time, he changed pace, then burst into the box before being sandwiched by two desperate defenders. Over and over, Kaptoum attempted to eliminate rivals from the equation, sometimes charging at speed and other times putting on the brakes. In only 64 minutes on the pitch and in his competitive first team debut, the B team player proved Barca’s best on the night by some distance.

Kaptoum is something of a hidden gem, a secret well kept by Barcelona whose talent outweighs his fame. Despite making his Barca B debut in August 2014, he has largely been kept away from the Spanish second division’s television audiences — and by extension eyes beyond Spain — due to lengthy spells out of action with injury. Had he stayed fit, there is little doubt the midfielder’s name would be doing the rounds alongside the likes of Sergi Samper in the ranks of young talents destined for bigger things.

The Cameroonian was one of 10 players brought from his home nation to Barca through the Samuel Eto’o foundation between 2005 and 2008; striker Jean Marie Dongou perhaps being the best known of the crop. The majority of those players have subsequently left the club as only four remain at Barca B.

Dongou, currently in his fifth season with Barcelona’s second team, now seems unlikely to make the final grade, having failed to push on significantly despite ample playing time over the last four years. Defender Frank Bagnack has also proven unable to progress adequately, while goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa struggles to get off the bench. With Kaptoum, however, there is hope.

Blessed with exceptional balance, the 19-year-old’s quick feet are married with a natural love of the attacking side of football that gives him the spirit to quickly forget about a failed dribble, then drive at an opponent once more.

Time in the Barca academy has also helped refine the weaker side of his game. Unlike most of the players who came from the Eto’o foundation, he has managed to develop his tactical understanding significantly, a key factor in his continued presence at the club.

He is sometimes prone to giving away possession, but that is inevitable from a player who likes to take people on and with a good work ethic when out of possession, he makes up for those losses elsewhere. Barca TV presenter Jaume Marcet, one of the true experts on the club’s academy, has likened the attacker to a young Thiago Alcantara and while comparisons with the Bayern man are perhaps a touch unfair at this stage, there is certainly a resemblance in his poise and rhythm.

Alex Gomez coached Kaptoum shortly after he arrived in the Catalan capital from Cameroon, and couldn’t think more highly of his former pupil: “He has a great vision of the game, when it’s time to work hard, he works hard. He’s very complete, and he’s the kind of player every coach would want in his team,” he said.

Barca B coach Gerard Lopez evidently agrees, as he has given Kaptoum match time in every one of the team’s third division fixtures since the player was declared fit in early October.

Judging by Wednesday night’s starting line-up against Villanovense, Luis Enrique concurs too. Opting to hand Kaptoum a place in his first XI ahead of fellow youngster Aitor Cantalapiedra suggests the Asturian saw something he liked, and responding in turn with a noteworthy performance will have done the hopeful no harm.

With midfielders that can carry the ball a particular weakness of Luis Enrique’s, it seems inevitable that more first team action will come for the B team star, provided he can stay fit and continue to learn.

ESPN

China to end one-child policy

China has decided to end its decades-long one-child policy, Xinhua news agency reports.

All couples will now be allowed to have two children, the state-run news agency said, citing a statement from the Communist Party.

The controversial policy was introduced nationally in 1979, to reduce the country’s birth rate and slow the population growth rate.

However, concerns at China’s ageing population led to pressure for change.

The one-child policy is estimated to have prevented about 400m births since it began.

Couples who violated the policy faced a variety of punishments, from fines and the loss of employment to forced abortions.

Over time, the policy was relaxed in some provinces, as demographers and sociologists raised concerns about rising social costs and falling worker numbers.

The Communist Party began formally relaxing national rules two years ago, allowing couples in which at least one of the pair is an only child to have a second child.

Introduced in 1979, the policy meant that many Chinese citizens – around a third, China claimed in 2007 – could not have a second child without incurring a fine
In rural areas, families were allowed to have two children if the first was a girl
Other exceptions included ethnic minorities and – since 2013 – couples where at least one was a single child
Campaigners say the policy led to forced abortions, female infanticide, and the under-reporting of female births
It was also implicated as a cause of China’s gender imbalance

Currently about 30% of China’s population is over the age of 50.

Correspondents say that despite the relaxation of the rules, many couples may still opt to only have one child, as one-child families have become the social norm.

The announcement comes on the final day of a summit of the Chinese Communist Party’s policy-making Central Committee, known as the fifth plenum.

The party is also set to announce growth targets and its next five year plan.

BBC

Huawei’s Better Connected Smart Grid Enhances Energy Efficiency

Ethiopia Day and Huawei Electric Power Summit 2015 Held in Ethiopia’s Capital ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, Oct. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Huawei, together with the Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Electricity of Ethiopia, hosted the Ethiopia Day and Huawei Electric Power Summit 2015 themed “Better Connected Smart Grid, Greater Energy Efficiency” on October 28 in Addis […]

“Looming” Refugee Crisis in the Americas

New report from the UN Refugee Agency. “’The violence being perpetrated by organized, transnational criminal groups in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and certain parts of Mexico has become pervasive,’” UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres said in Washington at a news conference to mark the release of a report on the situation entitled “Women on the Run.” ‘The dramatic refugee crises we are witnessing in the world today are not confined to the Middle East or Africa … We are seeing another refugee situation unfolding in the Americas.’ The new UNHCR report draws on interviews with 160 women who related their harrowing experiences of rape, assault, extortion and threats by members of the murderous street gangs. They talked about their families contending with gunfights, disappearances and death threats. They described seeing family members murdered or abducted and watching their children forcibly recruited by those groups. Guterres called the study an ‘early warning to raise awareness of the challenges refugee women face and a call to action to respond regionally to a looming refugee crisis.’” (UNHCR http://bit.ly/1LYORFf)

Political Unrest in Tanzania…”Major election complications cropped up on the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar on Wednesday, and the main opposition party on the mainland called for a recount as Tanzania’s election limbo stretched into its third day. Observers had predicted that Sunday’s elections would be the closest and possibly most fraught in Tanzania’s history. Tanzania is considered one of the most peaceful nations in Africa, led by essentially the same political party since independence more than 50 years ago.” (NYT http://nyti.ms/1LYP1MJ )

India Courts Africa…In Mozambique, India is building a solar panel plant that will help the southern African country harness renewable energy. Cameroon, in Central Africa, has sought India’s help in fighting the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram. In Ethiopia, Indian technical and financial aid has helped transform the country into a major sugar producer, creating tens of thousands of jobs. (AP http://yhoo.it/1Wjhu4O)

Stat of the day: TB mortality has fallen 47% since 1990, with nearly all of that improvement taking place since 2000, when the MDGs were set. (And other facts from the WHO’s new 2015 Global Tuberculosis Report http://bit.ly/1LYOJp7)

Africa

Nigerian troops have freed 338 people, almost all of them women and children, held by Boko Haram Islamists near the group’s Sambisa forest stronghold in the volatile northeast, the army said Wednesday. (AFP http://yhoo.it/1MtKI1t)

Both the government and rebels in South Sudan carried out war crimes against civilians and should face justice, an African Union human rights investigation has found. (AFP http://yhoo.it/1MUpfsJ)

Flash floods in Somalia have destroyed thousands of makeshift homes, as well as latrines and shallow wells, the United Nations said, predicting that up to 900,000 people could be hit by the strongest El Nino weather phenomenon in decades. (Reuters http://bit.ly/1WjghKQ)

More than a dozen people were killed in clashes in Burundi on Monday and Tuesday, police said, in the latest violence linked to the disputed third term of President Pierre Nkurunziza that has sparked concern by the United Nations Security Council. (Reuters http://yhoo.it/1WjhxNT)

Two weeks after South African students launched protests over proposed university fee hikes — and just days after winning a major concession from the president — the demonstrations that rocked South Africa show no signs of stopping. (VOA http://bit.ly/1WjgkGh)

Rwanda’s lower house of parliament debated on Wednesday a constitutional change that would allow President Paul Kagame to run for a third term, a move opposed by the United States and other donors. (Reuters http://yhoo.it/1P5M2GP)

Alassane Ouattara has won a second term as Ivory Coast president in the nation’s first peaceful vote in more than a decade, cementing its return to prosperity after years of turbulence, results showed Wednesday. (AFP http://yhoo.it/1jS1OK1)

Children in South Sudan are paying the highest price for 22-month conflict that has displaced millions of people and pushed the world’s youngest country close to famine. (Guardian http://bit.ly/1MUpi81)

Swiss prosecutors are investigating whether the Eritrean consulate has broken the law in allegedly forcing its Swiss-based nationals to pay a 2 percent tax by withholding consular services, a spokesman said on Wednesday. (Reuters http://bit.ly/1Wjgk9t)

Nigeria has imposed a record $5.2bn fine on a South African mobile phone company for failing to register users, raising concerns that regulations are being tightened to compensate for a budget shortfall. (Guardian http://bit.ly/1iiX0vu)

A Somali refugee who alleged she was raped in Nauru will be flown to Australia for a second time to potentially have an abortion, Australia’s government said Wednesday, a day after the United Nations’ human rights agency demanded she get another opportunity to have her 15-week pregnancy terminated. (AP http://yhoo.it/1MtKM1o)

MENA

A Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen on behalf of the elected government said on Tuesday that its planes had not bombed a hospital in north Yemen run by the medical aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres. (Reuters http://yhoo.it/1jS1LxG)

Iran will take part in international talks on Syria for the first time this week, giving it a voice in the effort to find a resolution to the more than 4-year-old civil war that has so far defied even the slightest progress toward peace. (AP http://bit.ly/1LYOTNd

Syria suggested that the United States could have spent $500 million tackling Syria’s refugee and humanitarian crisis instead of on a largely failed program to train and equip moderate rebels fighting to oust President Bashar al-Assad. (Reuters http://yhoo.it/1jS1PO0)

The United Nations warned Wednesday that a deadly surge in violence between Israelis and Palestinians was headed toward “catastrophe” as new knife attacks took place in the volatile West Bank. (AFP http://yhoo.it/1WiapXq)

Rescuers plucked more than a thousand migrants from overcrowded boats near Libya on Wednesday morning, Italy’s coast guard said, the most reported saved in a single day in three weeks. (Reuters http://yhoo.it/1MUpdRV)

Asia

Afghanistan and Pakistan were scrambling Wednesday to rush aid to survivors of this week’s magnitude-7.5 earthquake as the region’s overall death toll from the temblor rose to 385. (AP http://yhoo.it/1jS1Rph)

Digging through the rubble of an earthquake less than three months after being devastated by floods, residents of the northwestern Pakistan district of Chitral cannot afford to wait for government help. (AFP http://yhoo.it/1P5M4yl)

Several districts near the epicentre of a 7.5-magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan are contested by government forces and Taliban insurgents, complicating relief to some of those affected by Monday’s quake. (IRIN http://bit.ly/1iiGUSG)

Nepal’s parliament Wednesday elected communist lawmaker Bidhya Bhandari as the country’s first female president after the adoption of a landmark constitution last month. (AFP http://yhoo.it/1MtKQ0Q)

India’s government said Wednesday it would ban foreigners from using surrogate mothers in the country, a move likely to hit the booming commercial surrogacy industry. (AFP http://yhoo.it/1jS1Txh)

The Taliban have overrun a district in northern Afghanistan’s Takhar province, and intense battles were underway Wednesday as government forces fought to retake it, an official said. (AP http://yhoo.it/1jS1RFD)

Police in Thailand announced Wednesday they are looking for more suspects in a case involving people who allegedly claimed connections to the country’s royal palace in order to enrich themselves. (AP http://yhoo.it/1WjhwK0)

Cambodia’s prime minister on Wednesday condemned a violent assault on two opposition parliamentarians as “cheap” and unforgivable and took aim at political rivals for stirring tensions with street protests that hurt the country’s image. (Reuters http://yhoo.it/1P5M2qe)

The Americas

A vote by the U.N. urging the United States to lift its economic embargo against Cuba will “not help move things forward,” U.S. Ambassador Ron Godard said. (VOA http://bit.ly/1jS0Ux5)

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has urged leftist rebels to accelerate peace talks so the two sides can declare a bilateral cease-fire in time for the new year. (AP http://yhoo.it/1MUpdkT)

Human Rights Watch said in a report released Wednesday that evidence in two recent shootings in Mexico suggests federal police killed protesting civilians and criminal suspects who were fleeing or had surrendered. (AP http://yhoo.it/1P5M3ul)

Basking in the glory of a landslide in Guatemala’s presidential election, a former comedian with no government experience has some unorthodox policy plans: he will tag teachers with GPS trackers to ensure attendance and give poor kids smartphones. (Reuters http://yhoo.it/1WjgRIj)

El Salvador’s national prosecutor’s office arrested an evangelical pastor Tuesday for allegedly having ties to a criminal gang, charging him with belonging to a terrorist organization. (AP http://yhoo.it/1WjgRZ0)

A former Venezuelan prosecutor has accused the government of jailing an opposition leader “because they feared his leadership”. (BBC http://bbc.in/1P5MaG1)

…and the rest

Images of Germans greeting refugees at Munich’s train station with cheers and teddy bears in early September were beamed around the world, but the welcome that asylum seekers receive after being dispersed to cities, towns and rural areas around the country is often quite different. (IRIN http://bit.ly/1iiXgKW)

One of eastern Ukraine’s separatist regions has agreed to lift a ban on humanitarian aid deliveries by UN agencies, an official with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe said Tuesday. (AFP http://yhoo.it/1WjgRYP)

Politicians who use derogatory language about refugees and migrants may ultimately be responsible for causing violence, racism and bigotry, U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein warned on Tuesday. (Reuters http://yhoo.it/1jS1QkZ)

Austria said Wednesday it would build a fence along its border with fellow EU state Slovenia to “control” the migrant influx, in a blow to the EU’s cherished passport-free Schengen zone. (AFP http://yhoo.it/1jS1Sta)

Governments around the world will this year raise around $22 billion from schemes putting a price on carbon dioxide emissions such as taxes or emissions trading systems, a report on Wednesday showed. (Reuters http://yhoo.it/1MtKQy0)

Germany’s cabinet signed off on a draft law on Wednesday which will make it easier for hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers in the country to set up bank accounts. (Reuters http://yhoo.it/1MtKO9m)

Opinion/Blogs

How would we report on Scott Walker if he were a leader in another country? (Humanosphere http://bit.ly/1MtMjUV)

Map of the Day: Where Tuberculosis Kills (UN Dispatch http://bit.ly/1MUsqRa)

Imagine a Rape-Free Delhi (IPS http://bit.ly/1P5ujPN)

Comics in Cairo metro stations rail against sexual harassment (Mada http://bit.ly/1jS4KGw)

Landmines don’t know when war is over. They continue to kill (Guardian http://bit.ly/1Wi4Gkq)

Patriarchy, Extremism and Why We Can’t Ignore Women (Fahamu http://bit.ly/1jS0uHd)

Poverty Is Driving a Rise in the Number of Nigerian Child Hawkers (The Conversation http://bit.ly/1Wjg624)

Is Somaliland Still a Good News Story? (ISS http://bit.ly/1P5JVmf)

‘How?’ – Not ‘How Much?’ to Fight Poverty (allAfrica http://bit.ly/1Wjgldj)

Info-graphic: Where all that American aid money goes (Humanosphere http://bit.ly/1MtMmQO)

The Opposite of Sexting: Using Text Messages to Reduce Adolescent Pregnancy in Ghana (Development Impact http://bit.ly/1WjjpGu)

Discussion

comments…

McDermott’s Ghana Joint Venture Receives Regulatory Approval

CAPE TOWN, South Africa and ACCRA, Ghana, Oct. 28, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — McDermott International, Inc., (NYSE:MDR) today announced it has received regulatory approval for its McDermott Marine Construction Ghana Limited (MMCGL) joint venture to pursue key offshore opportunities in Ghana. McDermott and MMCGL officials made the announcement during the 2015 Africa Oil Week in […]

ALGERIA STRONGLY CONDEMNS RECENT TERRORIST ATTACKS IN CHAD, CAMEROON

Algeria has strongly condemned the recent terrorist attacks perpetrated by the terrorist group Boko Haram in Baga Sola, on the banks of Lake Chad and at Kangaleri in Cameroon.

“We strongly condemn the recent bloody terrorist attacks perpetrated in Bag…

L’Etat camerounais s’en remet à Boeing Consulting pour tenter de relancer Camair Co

L’Etat camerounais a décidé de confier l’élaboration du plan de relance de la Cameroon Airlines Corporation (Camair Co), le transporteur aérien public, à la société Boeing Consulting, a révélé le quotidien privé Mutations, citant une correspondance du Secrétaire général de la présidence de la République, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, envoyée le 9 octobre 2015 au PCA de Camair Co, Edouard Akame Mfoumou.

Répondant à une requête dans laquelle Edouard AkameMfoumou souhaitait obtenir l’accord présidentiel pour recourir aux services de Boeing Consulting pour relancer Camair Co, la correspondance de M. Ngoh Ngoh précise cependant que «cette option n’exclut toutefois pas la participation d’autres intervenants qualifiés pour l’audit de Camair-Co. A cet égard, la procédure de sélection d’un cabinet d’audit, à la diligence du ministre des Finances, se poursuivra normalement».

En effet, en septembre dernier, le ministre des Finances, Alamine Ousmane Mey, a lancé un «appel à manifestation d’intérêt, pour le recrutement d’un consultant chargé d’auditer et d’accompagner la Camair Co dans l’élaboration d’un plan de restructuration et de relance». Les cabinets intéressés par cette offre avaient jusqu’au 30 septembre 2015 pour postuler. L’auditeur qui sera retenu travaillera donc aux côtés de Boeing Consulting, dont le job description se limitera à l’élaboration d’un plan de relance de la compagnie, afin que celle-ci soit viable et compétitive.

Pour rappel, depuis son vol inaugural en 2011, Camair Co, dont les effectifs sont jugés pléthoriques, ne survit que grâce aux perfusions financières de l’Etat. L’entreprise qui dispose d’une flotte limitée à trois aéronefs est officiellement endettée, à hauteur de 30 milliards de francs Cfa.

Récemment, l’Etat a levé 25 milliards de francs Cfa auprès d’un pool bancaire local, afin de financer le plan de relance de cette compagnie aérienne publique. «L’utilisation du financement de 25 milliards de francs Cfa obtenu auprès du pool bancaire sera tributaire de l’adoption de ce nouveau plan et se fera conformément à celui-ci.», précise le secrétaire général de la Présidence dans sa correspondance au PCA de Camair Co.

Agence Ecofin

Africa: United States Welcomes UN Security Council Statement on Burundi

United States Welcomes UN Security Council Statement on Burundi

Press Statement

John Kirby
Department Spokesperson

Washington, DC

October 28, 2015

The United States welcomes the United Nations Security Council’s Presidential Statement today on Burundi.

Like the African Union’s communiqué of October 17, the Security Council statement put particular stress on the urgency of convening an inclusive inter-Burundian dialogue, among the government and peaceful stakeholders within and outside the country. As such, the Security Council reemphasized the importance of the mediation efforts led by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on behalf of the East African Community and as endorsed by the African Union (AU).

The United States stresses the Security Council’s call for any dialogue to be inclusive and represent the voices of the citizens of Burundi. We also welcome the Security Council’s strong condemnation of all violations and abuses of human rights and acts of unlawful violence committed in Burundi, both by security forces as well as by militias and other illegal armed groups, and its expressed determination to seek accountability for the perpetrators of such acts.

We are encouraged by the leadership of the United Nations in addressing the ongoing crisis in Burundi, particularly through Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon’s public offer in his October 27 statement of “any support necessary to advance the implementation of the measures agreed upon by the members of the AU Peace and Security Council.”

The United States stands ready to support the AU, the East African Community (EAC) and its designated mediator, President Museveni, and the citizens of Burundi to urgently conduct such a dialogue, which represents the best path forward to resolving the insecurity which has plagued Burundi since President Nkurunziza’s decision to run for a third-term in contravention of the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
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Africa: The Republic of Congo’s Flawed Referendum Process

The Republic of Congo’s Flawed Referendum Process
Press StatementJohn KirbyDepartment Spokesperson
Washington, DC
October 28, 2015

The United States is disappointed by the deeply flawed process that culminated in the recent referendum on a new con…

Atteinte à la fortune publique: Essimi Menye attendu au TCS